Classification of ancient traditional Chinese musical instruments by playing methodWhat is an ocarina?

Closed mouth wind instrument.

The ocarina is a closed-mouth wind instrument unique to the Han nationality, and its sound is the closest to the Taoist heavenly music. It is the closest musical instrument to the Taoist music. It occupies an important position in the history of primitive art in the world. The origin of the ocarina is related to the labor and production activities of the Han ancestors. Initially, it may be made by the ancestors to imitate the cries of birds and animals to trap the prey. Later with the social progress and evolved into a simple musical instrument, and gradually increase the sound hole, the development of melodic instruments can play tunes.

Ocarina in ancient times with clay fired a wind instrument, round or oval, with six holes (eight holes, nine holes, ten holes, double octave, etc., six holes ocarina market is not common). Also known as "ceramic ocarina". The most common ceramic, but also stone and bone.

The ocarina is one of the oldest wind instruments in China, with a history of about seven thousand years. Ocarina is a closed-mouth wind instrument unique to the Han people, the tone is simple and awkward to hold the vegetarian alone for the music of the earth, is the closest musical instrument to the Taoist heavenly music. It is the closest musical instrument to the Taoist music. It occupies an important position in the history of world primitive art.

The ocarina has gone through a long stage, about four or five thousand years ago, the ocarina from a sound hole development to two sound holes, can play three sounds. By the Late Shang Dynasty, more than 1,000 years ago, the ocarina developed to five tone holes and was able to play six tones. By the Spring and Autumn period, more than 700 years ago, the ocarina had six holes and was able to play the full pentatonic and heptatonic scales. The development of the ocarina from one tone hole to six tone holes took more than 3,000 years.